overthink

British

/ ˌəʊvəˈθɪŋk /

verb

to spend more time thinking about something than is necessary or productive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I started to overthink this and really focus on, I am the problem. I could see everybody was starting to feel down, because of me."

From BBC

The best bet for investors during this period may be to not overthink, especially with trading volumes so low.

From Barron's

“Try not to overthink it. This is for your eyes only. Just promise me you’ll try it.”

From Literature

The book is a labor of love and obsession, a search for answers by a philosopher who can, at times, overthink things.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023